Game, Set, Match: These OOH Advertisers Just Aced the US Open

September 10, 2024

Pop quiz, hot shot. What’s 80% of 1,048,669?

It’s an opportunity.

Over a million people attended the US Open tennis tournament in Queens this year, and four out of five got there via the 7 train (SOURCES: US Open, MTA). That means for three weeks out of the year, brands can access a concentrated, captive audience of tennis fans by advertising on the New York City subway line’s train exteriors, on digital screens inside the subway cars, or in the stations they pass through.

Events like this represent an opportunity to create contextual relevance, the practice of aligning advertising content with the context of its consumption. Contextual relevance at the US Open means brands embracing tennis lingo, imagery, and top stars in order to better resonate with fans whose annual economic impact on the city USTA chief executive Lew Sherr estimated at $1.5 billion (SOURCE: The New York Times).


Fresh off a record-setting Fan Week, it’s safe to say that the US Open’s popularity has transcended tennis, an observation American Express VP of global brand sponsorships and experiential marketing Shiz Suzuki made to Marketing Brew. “It’s almost like a food and wine festival on the grounds,” she said, describing the brand’s approach to its three-decade partnership as “showing up in some of the biggest and loudest ways.” 

Cardholders attending the tournament could access the US Open American Express Fan Experience, a brand activation that included two lounges, a TopSpin 2K25 gaming station, giveaways, a shop showcasing local small businesses, and more. On the way to the venue, fans on the subway could find themselves immersed in aspirational, lifestyle-centric messaging delivered via our multi-screen Livecard MAX format; the media mix across the city also included Liveboards, Digital Urban Panels, and turnstiles at high-traffic stations.

 

Chase has been an official partner for even longer – 43 years. “The US Open just embodies the whole spirit of New York City,” said Kate Schoff, the brand’s managing director of sports and entertainment marketing. The presenting sponsor for the Men’s Singles Championship for the last eight years, Chase proudly promoted the partnership with simple creative on our Liveboards and a digital bulletin next to the Long Island Expressway. 


The official beer of the tournament, Heineken didn’t just leverage contextual relevance in its advertising but also on its product. This traditional bulletin billboard just outside the venue greeted fans driving in with imagery of the brand’s non-alcoholic Heineken 0.0 brew in limited-edition L0VE.L0VE cans. Available only at the tournament, the cans were created not only as a reference to a scoreless tennis match but also as “a metaphor for the growing appeal of non-alcoholic beer.”


Evian is another brand that leveraged its 35-year-plus sponsorship with special product packaging – in this case illustrations by Pietari of Studio Posti. The official water of the tournament proudly promoted its partnership with Liveboards featuring “Big Foe” Frances Tiafoe as well as a full exterior wrap on the 7 train, which like all of our subway and shuttle wraps included interior media as well.


Perhaps no brand though had a bigger presence in New York City during the tournament than Uber Eats. “Get almost almost anything” was the tagline of this clever campaign that included subway station dominations along the 7 line at Grand Central/42nd Street and Mets-Willets Point, impacting tennis fans on both ends of the trip. 


Reigning champion and Olympic flag bearer Coco Gauff was all over our canvases, including this Bose DOOH creative that ran on subway Liveboards and an American Eagle campaign that included a strategically selected traditional static billboard four blocks away from its flagship location.


Swiss running shoemaker On – owned in part by five-time US Open champion Roger Federer – featured Iga Swiatek, the number one ranked women’s player in the world, and Ben Shelton in a Liveboard campaign urging them to “Dream On.”


Shut out of an official sponsorship role due to the tournament’s other finance partnerships, Morgan Stanley decided to influence fans in transit by wrapping a 7 train. Inside the car, brand train media featured Leylah Fernandez, who went all the way to the US Open finals in 2021, and a QR code to convert would-be investors. 


Skincare brand The Ordinary also wrapped a 7 train to announce its brand expansion into body products. Outside, the creative was a montage of magnified close-ups of goose bumps and hair follicles. Inside, subway riders were surrounded by brand train media highlighting specific products from the launch. 


Finally, Moments in Sports provided live scores and updates for the entirety of the tournament, updating commuters in Miami, New York, and San Francisco via our digital screens. 

Are you ready to serve up a contextually relevant campaign of your own? Contact OUTFRONT today!

Author: Jay Fenster, Marketing Manager @ OUTFRONT

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